Picking Up the Pieces
by LiveEatBreatheWrite
Summary: Mia thought that she was alone. Everyone that she ever knew was gone, until a surprise encounter with an old friend changes her mind. Rated T just to be safe... COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1: Lost and Found

**Mia**

My name is Mia. I sit in the middle of the woods and wait for them to come. I sit and wait to fight them. I hear a crack in the branches. It's time. I unsheathe my dagger and ready my fighting stance. Hands move branches and leaves out of the way. The geeks couldn't do that. I lower my dagger and step a little closer. A boy of about thirteen revealed himself. He looked around and when his eyes found me his mouth stood agape and his eyes got wide.

"Mia?" he asked quietly.

I nodded and I put my dagger away. I thought that when I left everyone had either left with their families or just turned. I thought that I lost them all. Here in front of me though was my best friend. Carl stood in front of me, alive. How he managed to survive three years without his dad, I have no idea. I remember the day Carl told me. That was nearly a week before the outbreak. His dad couldn't have survived. I ran forward to hug him. I started to cry in his shoulder.

"Shhh. Don't cry," he whispered in my ear.

Lots of things have changed about him. His voice has gotten deeper, he has grown almost an entire foot, and he wore a sheriff's hat. It must've been his dad's. I pulled away to look at him. I'd almost forgotten what he looked like. I used to see him every day, but since the day they pulled us from school, I've been on my own. I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Let's take you home," he said as he held me next to him.


	2. Chapter 2: You Again

**Carl**

I've been thinking a lot about my fifth grade year lately. I had a best friend, and her name was Mia. She stuck with me until the very end. I've found her. I've really found her! I didn't realize how much I missed her until I found her again. We're walking back to camp. I know that Dad will be happy to see her, and that everyone will love her. We got nearer to the prison and finally to the gate. Now's the time to impress her with my awesome lock skills. We got in and out without a hitch. I got inside the building and met Glenn there.

"Hey Glenn, this is Mia. She's my best friend," I told him.

Glenn looked ready to tell me off for bringing yet another person in here until I said that she was my best friend. After that, he looked shocked.

"Well, Carl," he said, "how do you know?"

I looked at him for a minute. I was about to say something until Mia stepped up.

"My name is Mia Foster. I was in Mrs. Finney's fifth grade class with Carl. My nickname for him was Goofball, and his nickname for me was Kitty."

Glenn looked rather impressed, and then he nodded his head.

"Carl, your dad is talking with Daryl near the back wall," Glenn explained. I nodded and looked over to Mia.

"Follow me," I said in the manliest voice I could muster.

Now, Mia was the one looking shocked.

"I thought your dad was dead," Mia whispered.

"Well, does he look dead to you?" I asked her once we could see him.

I started to walk a little faster once we got closer to them.

"Hey, Dad," I yelled.

Dad turned his attention from Daryl, and he walked towards me.

"Who is she?" Dad asked.

I sighed and said "Don't you remember Mia?"

Dad looked shocked and he said"That's really you, Mia?"

She nodded and smiled. Dad and Mia always got along very well; we even made up a handshake. Now was not the time for handshakes though. Dad pulled her into a short hug and smiled down on her. That was when I knew everything was going to be alright again.


	3. Chapter 3: Confessions

**Mia**

My head has been spinning ever since Carl found me, but the thing that shocked me the most was the fact that Carl's dad was alive. I was so happy when I saw him well though. He was my favorite adult. He treated me like a daughter, more than my parents ever did. If I wasn't at home, I was at the Grimes' house. After I gave Mr. Rick a big hug, the man he was talking to ran up.

"Is everything ok? Wait, who's the broad?" he asked in a southern accent.

"This was Carl's best friend before the walkers came along and ruined it," Mr. Rick explained.

The man walked over to me. He was a pretty scary guy, and I guess he was trying to scare me.

"Daryl, leave her alone. I'm ok with her, and you will be soon," Mr. Rick said.

Daryl stopped and stuck his hand out. I shook it and he said

"Well Girlie, you've got quite a handshake. The name's Daryl," he said.

"I'm gonna go have her meet everyone else," he said as he led me into the building.

Once we got in, we saw Glenn with a girl. She was very pretty, and I thought that they might be a couple or something. Carl said

"Hey, Maggie, got someone for you to meet!" She turned her head and followed me down the stairs with her eyes.

She had her hand over her gun until Glenn put his hand on her shoulder. After that she relaxed. She held her hand out and as I shook it she introduced herself.

"Maggie," she said stiffly.

"Mia," I replied.

Glenn stuck out his hand too.

"I didn't really officially meet you… My name is Glenn," he said.

I shook his hand and said "Mia."

I smiled and Carl led me off into another part of the building. I realized that it was a prison after he led me to the cell blocks. He knocked on the door of one with a man missing a leg and a young woman of about seventeen. They looked up, and they let Carl in.

"Beth, I think I told you a little bit about my last year in school," he said.

She nodded, and she was about to say something.

"Wait for it!" Carl said, "This is my best friend," the woman looked surprised.

"She's the girl you were talking about?" she asked in an accent similar to Maggie's.

I held out my hand and she took it.

"Beth," she said dazedly.

The older man took my hand next.

"Dr. Herschel Greene," he said. I gasped, "You guys have doctor?"

They all nodded. Then I realized something.

"Hey, are we going to run into your mom anytime soon?" I asked.

We entered a silence and I felt Carl stiffen beside me. He grabbed my hand and led me out of the cell, and into his own. I could tell it was his, because it was a messy as his old room. The litter in this room wasn't clothes or toys, but boxes of supplies that he'd gathered. He said on his bed with his head in his hands. His body shook and he was obviously very upset. I sat next to him and he looked up. His face was stained with tears. I hugged him and asked him why he was to upset.

He whispered, "I killed her."


	4. Chapter 4: Grief

**Carl**

I knew that she'd ask. I wanted to believe that she could just miss my mom, and forget that she was ever here. I knew in the back of my mind that it would never happen. I remember that we made a pact in the first grade. We would never lie to each other, and if something was wrong, you had to tell the other person. She held that pact to me ever since, and I knew that she wouldn't stop now. So, when she asked, I told her. When I told her, her reaction wasn't what I expected. I expected her to recoil in disgust, or yell at me. But she didn't. She started to cry too. I don't know if that was better or not. As she cried though, she stayed close to me. I didn't understand.

"How did it happen?" she asked.

I tried to calm down a little before I answered. "My mom got pregnant. She went into labor, but something went wrong. The baby lived, but my mom died. I had to shoot her in the head because the virus is live. She would turn if I didn't."

Apparently she didn't know that everyone was infected. She just kinda looked at me with a foreign expression on her face. She hugged me. We stayed that way for a long time. She let go, and we walked down the corridor hand in hand to meet my little sister.


	5. Chapter 5: Beautiful Girls

**Mia**

I enter a cell with an older lady and a baby. Carl holds his arms out and the lady gives him the baby.

"Meet Judith," Carl whispers.

"She's so beautiful," I whisper back.

Carl looks at me like he's about to say something, but he decides against it.

He looks up the lady and says "This is Mia."

She holds her hand out, and I take it.

"Carol. I did hear something about a new arrival from Daryl. I'm surprised that everyone is so fine with it."

"I'm Carl's best friend from before the apocalypse," I say casually.

I yawn after that, and Carl gives the baby back to Carol.

"We should head to bed," he says to me. "We'll bunk together for now," he explains to Carol.

Carol looks skeptical, but Carl reassures her that we've done it before with his parents' permission. He leads me out of the cell and returns to ours. I take bottom bunk and he takes the top. I look away while he changes into his boxers and is safely in bed. I lie down and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out.


	6. Chapter 6: Reliving

**Carl**

I'm lying in bed with my hands behind my head after the best day I've had in three years. I finally had her back, although she wasn't the girl I remember. Her brown hair was longer and darker, and her eyes are bigger and greener. She's grown nearly a foot, but, like always, I'm taller by a couple inches. Puberty hit too, because now she's got- well, you know. I hang my head over the edge of the top bunk and see that she's sleeping. She's even beautiful when she sleeps. Wait a second, when did I start to think that? God, I can't even keep track of my own thoughts. I'm probably just tired. I lie down and my bed creaks. I guess that woke Mia up, because I heard her gasp and sit up.

"Carl?"

"I'm right here, it's ok. My bed made the sound. The prison is secure; nothing will get you here," I say.

She climbs up and I hug her.

"Sorry I overreacted. I was… having a nightmare," she said

"What happened in your nightmare?" I asked.

"I was just reliving. People were re-dying. Do you remember Luke?" she asked me suddenly.

"Sure," I say.

"He found me. After a couple of months, he started to get comfortable. Too comfortable. He started to do some terrible things, and I couldn't stop him. He overpowered me. Then, he was bit. I had to kill him, and even though he did the things that he did, I was still sad about it," she explained.

I think I had an idea of what he did to her, but I didn't ask her to make sure. I just hugged her. She started to cry in my arms.

"That won't happen to you ever again," I promised her.

And with that she stopped crying. She didn't let go of me, not even when she fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7: Good Morning

**Mia**

I woke up in Carl's arms. I scarcely remember last night, but I feel so much better. I stretch and look down to see him still sound asleep. I pick up his arm and drop it over his stomach. I climb down quietly and sneak out of the cell. Carol is up and doing laundry. The clothes look slightly familiar, and then I realize that they're mine.

"You don't-" I tried to say

She stopped me. "You're one of us now, and that means that I get to do your laundry."

"At least let me help you."

She sighed and let me grab a pair of my dirty jeans. I scrubbed and scrubbed. I don't remember the last time I washed my clothes. We finished scrubbing and we hung them up to dry. By then, Maggie, Glenn, and Mr. Rick had woken up. They were dressed and Mr. Rick was talking about going on a run.

"Who's going on a run?" Carl asked, yawning.

"I am. You can come, but-"

"I'll only go if Mia goes." Carl finished for his dad.

Mr. Rick looked very unsure, but I convinced him that I'm more than capable of defending myself.

Mr. Rick, Carl, Glenn, Maggie and I climbed into the car, and Daryl followed on his motorcycle.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"A local mall. Hoping to find some food and clothes and such," Glenn answered.

I chuckled. Going to the mall was once an everyday thing, but now it's a luxury. What once was crowded with cars and people is now barren and empty.


	8. Chapter 8: Something Special

**Carl**

We parked near the door and loaded our guns. Mia readied her knife. There were a dozen or so walkers and we fought them off with ease. Mia got nearly half of them, surprisingly. She was even swift with a dagger. We snuck in and Dad told us to stop.

"Glenn, Maggie, go left. Carl, Daryl, go right. Mia and I will go forward," Dad said.

I followed directions reluctantly. I didn't wanna leave Mia, even if she was with Dad. I turned right with Daryl. The corridor was filled with clothing stores.

"Really? Sending the guys to look for clothes?" Daryl mumbled.

I nodded in agreement. Daryl turned into a guys' clothing store, so I guess that left me with the girls. I turned into the store across the way. I grabbed clothes that looked like people's sizes and stuffed then in my backpack. I walked out, and Daryl wasn't out of his store yet, so I look around. My eyes paused on the jewelry store. I ran towards it, so Daryl wouldn't see. The cases were broken already, so and alarm wouldn't be a problem. I looked around and I saw it. There sat a bracelet made of diamonds with a key dangling off of it. I grabbed it and ran back to meet Daryl. We met everyone in the intersection where we split. We headed back to the car.


	9. Chapter 9: New Equipment

**Mia**

We spilt off in the mall. I was with Mr. Rick, and we snuck down the aisle with the food court.

"So," Mr. Rick said, "What's the deal with you and Carl?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Something's changed between you two," he said.

"Mr. Rick-"

"Call me Rick,"

"Ok, Rick, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," I say.

He gives me a funny look, then turns into a restaurant and grabs frozen foods.

I go to a nearby restaurant and walk into the freezer. I grab frozen items and stuff them in my back. I hear crinkling of bags. A couple bags fall to the floor. I turn around and a geek is a foot away from me. I reach for my dagger, but I fumble and it falls to the floor. It grabs me by the shoulders and I grab it by the neck. Its teeth gnash while it tries to bite my arm. With my free hand, I reach for my knife. It's centimeters from my hand. I inch myself closer and I grab it. I stab it in the eye, and it falls on me. I shove it off, and I run out of the restaurant. I lean against the wall to catch my breath. I look up, and there's an athletic store place. I look down at my Vans. They're held together by some duct tape. I sneak into the store and look around. I see a pair of combat boots with steel toes. They're also pretty cute. I grab the display pair and try them on. They fit perfectly. I lace them up and throw my old shoes out of the store. I also see some brown leather workout gloves. They seem useful, so I slip them on. I see a belt with a knife holster. I grab it and buckle it around my waist. I look for weapons and stuff some guns, knives, and ammo into my bag. I then strut out of the store and wait for Rick.


	10. Chapter 10: Advice

**Thanks for positive feedback! Keep the reviews up! ~A.C~**

**Carl**

Once we were in the car, we ran down the herd and head back to camp. My foot doesn't stop bouncing the entire way there. I don't know how to give her the bracelet. She got new gloves anyway, it might not fit or something. Anyway, if I give it to her too soon, it'll be too awkward. There are a million ways this could go wrong, but I know in the back in my mind that she will accept it, no matter what. Daryl goes hunting after we finish eating frozen burger patties. Dad and Maggie are on watch, so the rest of us go to our cells. Mia is fiddling with her boot laces. They reach to the middle of her calf, so lacing them is quite a bit of work. She's concentrating hard, so she fails to notice me looking at her. It's now or never.

"Hey, found this on the run," I say softly

She looks up. The bracelet is hanging on my index finger. She takes it delicately and stares at it.

"It's beautiful," she says.

She has tears in her eyes. This is probably the first time she's gotten something like this. She looks up at me. She nearly knocks me over because the force of her hug is so strong.

"I missed you," she whispers in my ear.

I smile. That's gotta be a sign of something. Then, she does something unexpected. She gives me a peck on the cheek. I hide my embarrassment from her. Then I hear a knock. It's Daryl.

"Hey, kid, need some help with these," he says as he holds up some assorted dead animals my the tails, "You in?"

I look at Mia. She motions for me to go, so I get up and open the door. I wave at Mia and then go with Daryl.

"I know you have a crush on Girlie over there," Daryl says suddenly.

I know I can't even deny it anymore. I have to come out with it now.

"Yeah, so?" I mumble.

Daryl laughs. "I knew it!"

"You want me to help you or not?"

"You're gonna help me whether you like it or not."

I knew he was right, so I just grab an animal and start skinning.

"Merle taught me some tips. I can teach ya if you want," Daryl says.

"Can't hurt," I say.

That's a lie. If they're coming from Merle, it probably can.

"Well, all you gotta do, I be cool. Impressing her wouldn't hurt either. Either way should get her skirt off," he says.

"You're talking to a thirteen year old here," I say.

"Well, it's the end of the world. What's the old man gonna do, ground ya?"

I roll my eyes and continue skinning while repeating his advice in my head. This just might work.


	11. Chapter 11: A Girl's Opinion

**Yes, I know I'm about to skip over Mia. Don't worry… It'll all come together. Any plot ideas or suggestions are appreciated! ~A.C~**

**Carl**

I finish skinning with Daryl and walk away feeling rather confident in myself. His advice might work. I strut down the corridor, looking as cool as possible. That was when I ran into my dad.

"What're you so happy about, kiddo?" he asks me.

I stop, looking embarrassed. "Um- nothing."

"Something," he replies.

"Fine. Daryl gave me some advice about how to deal with girls, and I'm following it. Now will ya get off my back?" I reply.

That sounded much surlier than it meant to. Ah, well. What else can you expect?

"Well, can I give you a piece of advice?" he asks

"Sure."

"Just be nice to her. I know Mia, and she wouldn't go for a douchebag. Don't go for the cool approach. Don't try to impress her. She already thinks you're impressive enough."

I chuckle. Two people give me the exact opposite advice. Daryl did say Merle gave him the advice. And Dad does know Mia. Being nice seems to have worked so far. I think I'll need a third opinion. A girl's opinion. I thank Dad for the advice and head over to Beth's cell. Once I get there, I knock and she lets me in.

"Hey, Carl. Need something?" she asks

"Yeah. I need some advice. I like this girl..." I start.

"Do I know her?" she asks

"Not well." I say.

"Alright. Continue," she says.

"I like this girl. How do I get her to like me?" I ask.

"If this girl is anything like me, she won't go for a jerk. So, just be nice. Be yourself," she says.

So Dad was right. I nod and head back to my cell, ready to try out my new advice.


	12. Chapter 12: Love Birds

**Mia**

I'm sitting in my shared cell, trying to figure some things out. Carl isn't here to entertain me, so I'm left to my own devices. I think about the run. Rick was right. Something was different between Carl and me. It isn't that we aren't friends anymore. That definitely isn't it. I think we're becoming more. Or, at least, we want to. I've noticed that since the day he found me. Damn it. I think I'm crushing on my best friend. And the worst part is I don't know if he likes me back. Then I realize that I'm thinking about this during a zombie apocalypse and I laugh. This should be the last thing on my mind, yet the normalcy is refreshing. My thoughts are interrupted by the door to the cell opening. I knew it was Carl because nobody else would enter without knocking. I sit up and smile. He smiles and sits next to me. He rests his hand close to the hand that I'm supporting myself with. I look down to hide my blushing face.

"I didn't get a chance to say it before; I missed you too," Carl says.

I look up. Yep, this is the point of no return. I can't just be friends with this boy anymore; I like him too much. He smiles sheepishly. I take my hand in his. Now it was his turn to blush. I've heard about that awkward stage between dating and just like. Now, I was experiencing it.

"I need to show you something," he said suddenly.

His hand left my grasp. He lifted his shirt. His stomach was scarred horribly. I'd gone swimming with him before, and he hadn't had them then. It was from since the apocalypse started.

"We were in the woods, my dad and I. I saw a doe. She was the most beautiful thing I'd seen in months. She was living, whole, and completely oblivious to the world. She let me get closer to her. I reached out to touch her, but I never got there. A man named Otis shot the doe. Went straight through her, and into my stomach. That's when we found Herschel and his daughters. Herschel fixed me up, but I was in and out of sleep for weeks. I remember that I dreamt of you. That was when I started to miss you," he explained.

I touched the scarred skin of his stomach. He quickly put his shirt down, his face reddening as he did so. He seemed to have realized what he was doing. I gripped his hand again. I couldn't imagine what it was like for him, heck, even for everyone else around him. I squeeze his hand, and tears threaten to pour from my eyes. When one slips, Carl lifts his hand and wipes it away. He lets it linger there for a moment, and then he drops his hand.

"Time for bed, lovebirds," Daryl laughs.

Carl spun around, releasing my hand in the process. He rubs the back of his neck, like boys do when they are embarrassed.

"What- why would- um," Carl stutters.

"Shut up before you hurt yourself, kid," Daryl jokes.

Daryl leaves, laughing. Carl turns to me again, pecks me on the cheek, and climbs up the ladder to his bed. I hold my cheek where he kissed it. The spot was getting hotter under my hand. I lie down with no intent to sleep. I couldn't with my mind racing like this. I accept that fact, and I just lie there and think.


	13. Chapter 13: The Question

**Carl**

I came so close to kissing her last night. Daryl just had to go and interrupt me. Dad, Beth, Herschel and I were the only ones awake at the moment. We stand and sit around in silence. After several moments spent wallowing in my own thoughts, I hear soft noise float from a cell block. It wasn't alarming. It was beautiful. A soft, angelic voice sang. I got up and followed the song. I finally got close enough to recognize the words being sung. I didn't recognize the song, though. I followed the voice until I found the source. I found Mia singing with her back facing the door. She hadn't heard me coming. After a few more verses, she turned. Apparently she hadn't heard me coming, and she screamed when she saw me. Then she realized it was me and she started to laugh. I laugh along with her.

When we finish our fit of laughter I say "I've never head you sing before."

"I sucked, didn't I?" she groaned.

I quickly shook my head no. She rolled her eyes.

"You were amazing," I say.

"Thank you, but I know how I sound, and it is nowhere near amazing. "

Now I roll my eyes. She walks to me and grabs my hand. We walk down to the rest. We lean against the wall, still holding hands.

"Told ya'll that they were a couple lovebirds," Daryl states.

We both blush. Mia buries her head in my shoulder, which only made me blush harder.

"Look at him getting redder than a tomato over there!" Daryl exclaims.

That one got some laughs from everyone. I would've blushed even harder, but it wasn't possible for my face to get any redder. Mia and I return to our cell.

"I know it was embarrassing, but it was only because it was true," Mia says quietly.

"I guess you're right," I say.

Then I realized where we were. We were alone. No one could hear us. Before I could talk myself out of it, I said it.

"Look, I like you a lot. I don't even know if this concept even exists anymore, but Glenn and Maggie pulled it off. So, will you go out with me?"

She looked confused for a second. Then she looked happy.

"Of course," she said.

I smiled like an idiot and she laughed at me. I hugged her. She kissed me on the cheek. Before I could return the favor, we were interrupted yet again by Daryl.

"Your dad and I are going on a run. You in?"

I look over to Mia and she nods. She gives me another peck on the cheek before I leave. When Mia is safely out of earshot, we start to talk.

"What was that about?" he asks.

"I asked her out. And she said yes," I reply

He looks surprised.

"Look who put his big boy britches on!" he says.

I smile.

**Alright guys. I think I might've done this a little too soon, but writing is about risk, right? Wrong? Please review! ~A.C~**


	14. Chapter 14: More Mouths to Feed

**I'm going to skip over Mia, yet again. And I'm going to tell you, again, that it will all fall together. Working on making chapters longer and such. Keep the reviews up! ~A.C~**

**Carl**

"So, the run is to an old abandoned house. Hoping to find supplies or something," Dad explains in the car.

He turned a corner and found a house that fit Dad's description perfectly. It was very old. It looked at least two stories high. It had moss and vines climbing up the side of the house, and several windows were cracked. I was back up of Daryl and Dad. They went in first, then me. The inside was just as dingy and old as the outside. The wooden floors had several planks of wood missing, and furniture was very dirty. The stairs were intact, but it looked like they wouldn't be that way for long. Dad snuck to the base of the stairs. He was about to step up to the first step when a body came into view. Dad backed up and let the person down the stairs. The person was a boy; he held a gun in his shaking hands. He looked very scared, but his face was the only part of his body I could see. The rest of him was covered in blood.

"What do you want," he said faintly.

"We were looking for some supplies, and we hadn't realized…" Dad started.

The boy fainted before Dad could finish the sentence.

"Let's take the kid with us, patch him up, and send him packing," Daryl said.

Dad reluctantly agreed. Daryl picked the kid up with ease, because he was entirely too skinny for his size. He had to be nearly as tall as Daryl. His blonde hair fell in his closed eyes when Daryl picked him up. He bound his hands and feet first, and then set him in the backseat with me. We then returned to the prison with no supplies and an extra mouth to feed.

"Herschel!" Dad yelled once we entered the prison.

Herschel hobbled over, and he saw the boy in Daryl's arms, he started to bark orders.

"I need a gurney and a wet cloth, stat!"

Beth and Maggie snapped into action quickly. Beth rolled the gurney into the room and Maggie grabbed the washcloth and started to wipe the blood from his body. Mia grabbed a chair for Herschel and he started to inspect the boy's body.

"I don't see any bites, but he's obviously been in a fight or two," Herschel concluded. "I'll need to stitch him up."

Maggie got up and got him the materials he needed. Meanwhile, I moved over to a scared looking Mia.

"What the hell happened?" she asked.

"We were going to an old house on a run and he happened to be there. He was already in this state when we got there. He passed out when Dad started explaining why we were there," I explained.

She nodded. Herschel continued to lap up the blood that covered the boy's body. He was almost finished, and now you could see the terrible cuts and bruises that covered his torso. We lifted up the leg of his pants and found he had badly broken his leg; it stuck out at an awkward angle.

"We'll need to make a run for materials, unless we have a leg brace and crutches," Herschel said.

"I saw some earlier," Beth says

"How long will it be 'till he's up and running?" Dad asked.

"Considering the lacerations and contusions, along with this impressive break here, I'm going to have to say at least 3 months," Herschel diagnosed.

Dad let out a long sigh. Maggie returned with the materials needed to stitch up a couple of his cuts. We left while he did this because he needed concentration when he did this.

Soon enough, Herschel let us back into the room, and the boy stirred.

"Can you hear me?' Dad asked.

The kid mumbled something that must've been "yes."

"Ok, good. He's awake. What's your name kid?" Herschel asked.

"Chandler," he replied.

"Alright Chandler, can I ask you what happened to you?" Herschel asked.

"Group ganged up on me. Tortured me 'cos they didn't believe I was alone. I escaped and ran to the house. Then you guys showed up," he said, loud as he could.

"I can believe that. You have some deep lacerations. I've already stitched them up. You've got some bad bruising; those will just need time. You've also got a broken leg. We have a brace and crutches here," Herschel elaborates.

The boy nods.

"How long will I be here?" he mumbles.

"I'm guessing about 3 months," Herschel says.

Chandler groans. He puts his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry kid. In all my years, I haven't seen anyone recover from a break this bad in less than 3 months," Herschel apologizes.

He looks up. "Well, long as I'm here, might as well know y'all's names."

He goes along the line of people lining the walls. First was Dad, followed by Beth, Maggie, Carol, who was holding Judith, Daryl, Glenn, Mia and then me. After being introduced, Beth wheeled Luke to a cell.

I looked down at Mia. He seems really worried. I nudge her with my elbow.

"You alright?" I ask.

She snaps her head up and looks at me.

"Yeah. I just haven't seen anything that intense since…" she trailed off.

I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Hey, you don't have to talk about if you don't want to," I say to her softly.

She looks up at me.

"Thank you," she whispered.

I hugged her, resting my head on hers. Then we walked down to our cell, hand in hand, yet again

**What? Another boy? What's gonna happen? Well, you guys'll just have to figure out yourselves... Keep reviews up! ~A.C~**


	15. Chapter 15: Backstories

**Sorry it's been a little while... been busy. Keep reviews coming! ~A.C~**

**Mia**

I lay in my bed under Carl's. I couldn't get the image of that boy out of my mind. That and the image of Luke dying. Chandler's incident was the most gruesome thing I've seen since the night Luke died. I remember it clearly. He was arguing with me. _I don't need you! You're lucky I let you stay! You're lucky I let you even live! There are some crazy people out there, and I could just shove you out of these woods and- _He never finished the sentence. I was too busy cowering in the corner and crying to see the geeks wind around the corner and get closer and closer. I didn't notice until it was too late. I remember the last thing he said to me. _You bastard! _He said. I snapped back to reality and realized I was sobbing. I couldn't wake Carl up like this every night, so I tried my best to shut up. I heard crutches echoing in the hall. Herschel must be awake. I got up carefully and peeked out the door. To my surprise, it was Chandler, not Herschel. I opened the door. Now that he was coherent and less bloody, I realized that he was quite handsome. He had a thin, muscular build; he must have been a runner. He had blonde hair that he had to push out of his face a lot. He was very tan, and his face was as thin as his body. He hobbled over to me.

"Hi. I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. Well, it's more of a crutch than anything…" Chandler said.

"True. I couldn't sleep either," I say.

He finally reaches me and we lean against a wall.

"So what's the deal with you and Carl?" he asks.

"He's my boyfriend," I say.

He nods.

"Glenn and Maggie are going out too. I think Daryl has a thing for Carol too…" I trail off.

"You know what, I probably should know the who's who if I'm gonna be here for a while," he says.

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea..." I say nervously.

He scoffs. "Come on! Do I really look like someone who would reveal this type of stuff the first guys who asks? I was tortured for Christ's sake!" he says.

"You do have a point, but we can't make any chances." I say sternly.

"Fine. I understand. So, Can I ask you questions about yourself?" he asks.

"To a certain point. Ask away," I say.

"Well, how old are you?"

I thought about it for a minute. It's not that personal, so I go ahead and answer.

"Thirteen."

"Me too. Where did you come from?"

" I'm from here, in Georgia," I say.

"I came from Florida."

That would explain the tan. I realized that I was really tired.

"I'm gonna try and sleep again," I yawn.

He nods. "I'll see you around."

I retire to my bed. I'm half asleep when Carl speaks.

"What was that about?"

I nearly scream. "What was what about?"

"I saw you out there with Chandler. What did you tell him?"

"He asked me how old I was and where I was from. And I told him that we were dating. Then I excused myself to bed," I said nervously.

"Ok. Be careful when you're talking to him. Don't reveal too much," he says.

"I'm not an idiot, Carl. He tried to find out about the 'who's who' here, and I refused. I know how it works."

"Alright," he said stiffly.

I wanted to tell him to quit being such an ass so badly. He was being very irate lately, and I don't know why. Then I reminded myself of the situation we are in. He's a teenage boy, who has shot his mother and god knows who else. I wonder what happened to him to make him this way.

"I wanna talk more about before I found you," Carl said suddenly, as if he read my mind.

"Alright..." I say uncertainly.

I climb up the ladder and lie down next to him. He puts his arm around my shoulder and we begin talking.

"So, what do you wanna know?" I ask.

"As much as you wanna tell me."

"Well, if I tell you this, you have to tell me more about before you found me, too."

"Alright, deal. So, start from the last time I saw you," he said.

"Ok. After we were released from school that day, I walked home. When I got there, my parents had gone already," I said, tearing up. "It said that they had left, and they didn't bring me because I would only slow them down. They didn't need a little bag of shit like me anyway. So, I grabbed all the kitchen knives and left. I tried your house; you'd already left. So, then I went to my Uncle Vinnie's house. That was about a day's walk. I got there and…" I trailed off. "Anyway, after that I just decided to give up looking for people and try to get along on my own. Then, Luke found me. I was dying when he did. I was dehydrated, starving, and I had a bad wound."

I paused to lift up my shirt. I revealed a long scar stretching from the top of my ribs to my hip. He studied it, and lifted his hand to touch it. I pulled down my shirt quickly and crossed my arms over my stomach.

"Anyway, he found me. He put on his nice face for a while. Then he revealed his true colors. He hit me if I did something wrong or made too much noise. He did some… other things. I was planning to get away when he died. I tried once but he caught me. I remember what he said when he did. 'If you ever try to leave again, then I'll beat your ass, for the last time. Quit being an ungrateful bitch,' he said to me. Then, a couple days later, he was beating me. He hit me hardest that time. He raised his hand to hit me, and a geek got his hand. I remember that he started to plead. I remember his last words…"

Then I was done. I couldn't talk about it anymore. He caressed the back of my head as I wept silently.

"Your turn," I choked out.

He sighed. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"You say that like it's the story of the holocaust of something," I say softly.

"It's not that far off." He said sadly.

I think about what could be that bad, other than killing his mother. I brace myself emotionally for the worst.

"I'm ready," I say.


	16. Chapter 16: Before He Found Her

**Carl**

"As soon as I got home after they let us out of school for the last time, Mom had us pack our things. She was very upset, and Shane was there," I said.

She looked confused for a moment, and then she remembered who Shane was.

I continued. "She didn't tell me why she was so upset until we were safely in the car. We didn't leave anything; not even family photos. We packed everything and left. In the car, Shane told me that my father had died. I lost it. I was very upset. Of course, Shane was wrong about that. He knew that my dad was alive, but he'd figured that he wouldn't survive. So, he just saved himself some trouble and told us he was dead. On the way out of town, the cars were bumper to bumper. We had to spend the night on the highway. We met Carol and her family there. She had a husband Ed, and a daughter, Sophia. Then we found our first camp. We'd returned to that quarry we'd go camping at. Dale, Andrea, Amy, T-Dog, Glenn, Jim, Jaqui, Morales, his family, Daryl, and Merle were already there,"

She obviously didn't know who half of these people were.

"Half of them have died. Anyway, we hung out there for a couple days. Andrea, T-Dog, Glenn, and Merle went to Atlanta on a run. They were gone for about a week. Glenn found my dad while they were there. Before they left, my dad showed Merle his place. He didn't come back. They brought my dad back, and we were in shock. Shane wasn't happy to see him, though. He wasn't right since then. Then, the quarry was overrun. Amy, Jim, and Ed got bit. We had to move on after that. Morales and his family split when that happened. We got to the CDC, and we stayed there for a few days. The place had to get blown up though. Jaqui stayed, and Andrea almost did, but Dale stopped her. We find a place after that, but it was overrun, and Sophia ran off. That's when my accident happened. A man named Otis shot me. My dad brought me to the farm. Herschel took care of me. Maggie, Beth, Patricia, and Jimmy were there too. I think Otis died on a run with Shane to get some supplies for getting the bullet out. Zombies started showing up more and more often. One day, I started messing with one stuck in the mud. I didn't kill him, and it ended up getting free and killing , Shane lost it. Tried to kill my dad, so he killed him. He came back, and I killed him. Again. After a while, we were overrun yet again. The farm was destroyed in a fire. Jimmy, Patricia, and Andrea died then. Then, we were on the road. For a while. We found the prison, and we were set. We just recently got attacked. Maggie, my mom, and I got trapped in the boiler room. Mom decided to suddenly go into labor. Something went wrong. She, uh, she died. I was the one to make sure, though. T-Dog got bit then. After we all got together again, and Dad found out… he totally lost it. I…"

I trailed off. I needed to steady myself. I'm almost done. I can do this. I blinked back tears and continued.

"Then, it's was just us. Me, Dad, Carol, Daryl, Herschel, Glenn, Maggie, Beth. Then, I found you. Now, you can see why I was so happy. And now, we have Chandler."

I finished my story. My heart was racing, hoping. I hoped that she wouldn't judge me. She just looked at me.

"I get it. It's alright. I will make sure that you won't ever have to do that again," she whispered.

Then, she did something totally unexpected. She kissed me _on the lips_. It was only for a second, but it was one of the best seconds of my life. We fell asleep together again. It took me awhile to fall asleep, because I was still swimming in emotion. I dreamt the kiss, replaying in my mind, over and over, until I woke up.


	17. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Ok guys. I'm very sorry that I haven't written on this story in a while, writer's block **sucks. **I'm currently in the last few weeks of school, and I still have a bunch to do because of finals. I'm working on getting some chapters done, but I just can't think of anything! Ugh! Anyway, I'm thinking of changing my username... just letting you know now.

I also wanted to thank my reviewers:

GeminiCross

dandelioninthespring

BLUENIGHT23

Thank you! The support and feedback means a lot!

Thanks to my followers and favorites as well.

Thank you for reading!

~A.C~


	18. Chapter 17: The End

**Hey guys. I know. It's been forever. I finally got rid of this writer's block! It's exciting, I know. Hope you enjoy! Please keep the reviews up! ~A.C~**

**Mia**

I woke up early with Carl beside me in the bed. I remembered our conversation last night. It broke my heart to know he had to make so many adult decisions. I slowly removed Carl's arm, which was draped over my stomach. I cautiously got up, making sure that I wouldn't wake him. Rick said something about going out on a run, so I imagined that Carol was the only one up. I crept out of my cell and peeked around the corner. Sure enough, Carol was up, tending to Judith.

"Morning," I yawned.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Rick went on a run, but he'll be back soon." she said quietly.

"Alright. Do we have any breakfast?" I asked hopefully.

"I think we have some energy bars. Could you keep an eye on Judy while I go check?"

I nodded and took Judith from her. She grabbed her hunting knife and went to find said energy bars. I heard the shuffling of feet echoing from the direction of the cells. I knew the sound all too well. I wielded a knife in one hand and held Judy with the other. I crept, slowly and stealthily, towards the sound. I peeked my head around the corner and found myself face to face with Carl. I gasped and fell on my ass. I dropped the knife and clutched Judy so she wouldn't fall. I looked up at Carl. He had a foreign expression on his face. I started to giggle.

"I thought you were a walker," I giggled.

He stepped out further. His arm was covered in blood. I gasped and grabbed his sleeve. I pushed it up. Bloody teeth marks appeared.

"No... no. It can't... you're not..."

I was panicking. Hot tears spilled down my face.

"It was Chandler. He was at our cell door. I opened it to try and stab him, but he got me before I could."

I gripped his arm and brought him to the main room. Judy started to cry.

"Shh... it's alright.." I murmured.

Carol entered the room.

"I didn't find any energy bars but.." she stopped.

"He was bitten."

She ran towards me and took Judy from me.

"Go to your cell and tie him to the bed," she ordered.

I grabbed handcuff Rick used for Herschel and led him to our cell.

"Just kill me already."

"You know I can't do that," I protested.

I forced him down on the bed and chained him to a post.

"You'll have to. Carol couldn't do it. I'll be dead by the time Dad gets back. You're the only one who can do this, Mia."

I started to sob. I realized he was right. I grabbed the gun from my holster. I aimed at his head.

"I love you."

The sound shattered the silence and rang in my ears. I looked at him and sobbed.


	19. Chapter 18: The Morning After

**And you guys thought it was over. ~A.C~**

I screamed and sat up in bed. Carl was lying, unharmed, next to me in bed. I let out a sigh of relief. My face was sticky from tears. He stirred and woke up.

"Are you alright?" he asked tiredly.

"Just a nightmare."

"What was it about?" he asked.

"You were bitten. I had to kill you."

I started to cry again.

"Shh... it was just a dream. I'm fine."

He hugged me. We stayed like that for a while, until I finally fell asleep. No more terrible dreams haunted me that night, thankfully.

I woke up alone. Carl must've already woken up. I climbed out of bed and entered the main room. Carol and Carl were there; Carol rationing food and Carl comforting a crying Judith.

"Morning," I mumbled.

"Good morning. Rick went on a run. He should be back soon." she said cheerfully.

I went over to Carl and sat next to him. He looked frustrated holding the baby, so I took her for him.

"Thank you," he sighed.

"No problem," I yawned.

"Alright, soup's up!" she announced happily.

She handed Carl and I our food and took Judy away from me.

"How can you be so damn cheerful all the time?" I asked.

"Our group needs an optimistic one, and I guess that would be me."

"Good point."

I downed the handful of cereal. Carl did the same.

"Ooh! Wait here," he exclaimed.

What was with everyone being so cheerful? Maybe it was just me. Carl strode back into the room with something in his hand. He presented a book.

"Look at what I found. It's called _The Giver_. We were supposed to read it in 6th grade, remember?"

"Yeah, I do. Let's do it."

We found a bench and sat. We must have spent a couple of hours there, because by the time we finished, Rick had just returned.

"What?" I shouted.

"That is a B.S ending." Carl agreed.

"Ugh. The book, though, was amazing."

"Agreed."

Rick walked in with something in his hands. He threw it at us, and Carl caught it. He handed me something. It was a swim suit. Carl held one too.

"Take her to the lake in the woods. Bring a gun. Have fun."

Rick exited the room as abruptly as he came.

"Alright. Lets get changed!" Carl exclaimed.

I think I can finally get into the cheery mood of today. Even after my horrifying sleep.


	20. Chapter 19: The Lake

**Sorry for the heart attack I gave you guys... it's what I do. I actually was planning on ending it then and there, but I just couldn't. It wasn't time! Wasn't the right ending, either. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! ~A.C~**

**Carl**

We were walking, hand in hand to the lake. I couldn't believe Dad would let us loose like this. We were walking, alone, in our swimsuits, to a lake in the middle of the forest. I mean, it wouldn't be so bad if we were under normal circumstances, but this was the zombie apocalypse for Christ's sake! He barely let me go take a shit by myself. We did take a gun and a knife, of course. We could only stay for a little while, but it was better than not going at all. Maybe, Dad was just just noticing the summer coming up, and wanted us to get out of the heat, or just relax for a while. I was stumped! I was still thinking when we reached the lake. I needed to let it go for now. Now, I'm ready to have some fun! Mia started to slowly lower herself into the water. I set the weapons carefully by the shore.

"Wimp!" I shouted as I fully submerged myself.

I resurfaced and met a very angry-looking Mia.

"I am not a wimp!" she protested.

I splashed her with the water and she squealed.

"You'll pay for that, Grimes!" she yelled.

She lunged toward me and tackled me. She wrestled me underwater for a couple of seconds, then I overpowered her.

"Ha! I win." I teased.

"You win? I think not!"

She tried to tackle me again, but I poked her at her sides before she could, which resulted in a fit of hysterics.

"What was that you said before? I think that statement was incorrect."

"Nope, I still win." she laughed.

"Not after this!"

I picked her up and hoisted her onto my shoulder. Even for being thirteen, the apocalypse had made me strong, and had also made being heavy difficult to achieve for Mia. She pounded her fists on my back.

"Let me go!" she shouted.

She wriggled in my grip. She was getting hard to hold.

"Not until you admit that I won."

"Fine," she sighed. "You win!"

"That's more like it."

I shrugged her off my shoulder playfully.

Then, I realized. We were in the shallow end.

She didn't come up after a while, and I looked back. She was unconscious. I swam under and lifted her out of the water. I carried her to the shore and checked for a pulse. It was still there, but it was faint. I didn't know CPR, so I had to get her back, fast. I traveled as fast as a teenage boy carrying a girl could go. After what seemed like forever, I reached the prison. Glenn saw us and let us in.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, frantic.

"We were messing around and she hit her head on something at the bottom. She's alive, but she needs medical attention. Please, get her to Herschel." I explained.

I handed her gently to him and watched him run into the building with my girlfriend.

I am really in some deep shit.


	21. Chapter 20: Remember

**Please review! ~A.C~**

**Mia**

I woke up in a strange room with an old man looking over me. My head hurt really badly.

"She's awake. The stitches in her head will need some time to heal, but they should dissolve in time. But if not, I'll have to remove them. And that will hurt. So, hopefully, they'll dissolve," he rambled.

"Who..."

"Shhh... You need to rest. When you're ready, I'll need to ask you a few questions. But, for now, you need some rest."

He left the room and left me by myself. Just after he left, I fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up and the room was brightly lit. The old man had returned, and was sitting in a chair next to my bed. My head still hurt.

"Good afternoon. Are you ready to answer some questions for me?"

I nodded and sat up.

He cleared his throat and began.

"Do you know your name?"

I thought. Come to think of it... I don't think so. I think it started with an M.

"No... but does it start with M?"

"Yes, it does. Do you want to take a guess?"

"Can't you just tell me?" I pleaded.

"I guess so. Your name is Mia Foster. Does it ring any bells?"

"Yes... it does."

A couple of other things popped into my brain.

"I'm... thirteen. I live here. I live here with you and some other people."

"Right! Excellent. Do you know what's happening now?"

I thought. A bad feeling entered my gut when he asked me that.

"Um.. is it bad?"

"Very bad, yes. If you don't remember, don't try. It will come to you eventually."

"Ok... Oh! I've been meaning to ask. Why does my head hurt so much?" I asked.

"You were in a minor accident and you hit your head. Do you remember what you were doing?"

I struggled to remember something, anything. Then, it hit me.

"I was... playing in the water. I was with someone... and I fell off his shoulder. I hit my head... but... who was I with?"

"You don't remember?"

I shook my head.

"Well... I can bring him in? Would you like that?" he asked.

"That would be nice."

He reached down to retrieve something off of the floor. They were crutches. He put one on each side of him and stood. One of his legs were missing.

"What happened to you?"

"You'll remember soon enough."

He hobbled out of the room and went to retrieve the person I was with. I tried to focus on the accident. I was having fun... playing. It was definitely a dude... but after that, I couldn't remember anything about it.

The old man entered with a boy, about my age. He seemed familiar.. like I've know him for a long time. He looked really tired, and... guilty.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi. I'm Mia. Who are you?" I asked.

He looked hurt when I said that. His eyes widened and he looked even sadder.

"Did I say something? I'm sorry... I know I should know you but..."

"It's alright. You'll remember soon. I'm Carl. I was your best friend in fifth grade.. and I'm-"

The old man cut him off.

"Whoa there, we don't want to overwhelm her now."

"Right.. um... anyway... you've lived here with me and some others, including Herschel here." he explained.

"I know that... I know I live here with other people.. but I don't know who."

"Ah. Herschel, can I have a moment with her? I promise not to say anything that will freak her out or anything." he asked the old man.

He nodded and left the room. Carl took a seat in Herschel's previous spot. Once Herschel was safely out of earshot I started talking to him.

"Freak me out?" I asked nervously.

"Once you start remembering stuff, you'll understand."

"Ok..."

"Alright. Anyway, what do you remember?" he asked.

"Um... I'm Mia. I'm thirteen. I've lived here for a while... and I haven't been to school in a long time. I don't know why that is, but I'm pretty sure it's because of something very bad. Um... I remember the accident.. apparently, I was with you. The thing you said about being my best friend... I'm starting to recollect some of that. I remember missing you sometimes. The thing that I want to know is _why_."

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I protested.

"Two reasons. a) you wouldn't believe me, and b) it'll freak you out. That's the last thing we need."

"Fine. I'll remember soon enough, I suppose. Why are you so sad?"

He looked taken aback when I said that. I did want to know, though. I didn't know much about him, but I knew I didn't want to see him sad.

"This is all my fault. I was playing with you, and I pushed you off of my shoulder. It's all my fault you don't remember."

"It's fine. Don't be sad about that. I don't know you well right now, but I know that you're very nice, and that I don't want you to be sad. Please, be happier. Maybe it'll help me remember something," I pleaded.

He seemed to brighten up a little after that. We didn't really talk about much after that. He left shortly after. I sat by myself for a while, trying to remember things, but then, tiredness caught up with me, and I fell fast asleep.


	22. Chapter 21: I'm a Monster

**Hey guys. I have a (basic) idea of how my summer is gonna go. June is not a busy month for me, so it should have a lot of updates! July is a little busier, but will still have a lot of updates. August, I'll be kinda busy. I'll update as frequently as I can. Anyway, enough about me. Here's the next update! ~A.C~**

**Carl**

I'm a monster. Mia has amnesia, and it's all my fault. She remembers the accident clearly. She knows that she lives here with Herschel, myself, and "other people." I suppose I should be glad that she doesn't remember some things, like my story. Or hers frankly. Hopefully we can at least still be friends after this all blows over. Hopefully she'll remember what we are. Or, what we were. I guess our relationship is going to be put on hold for a while; at least until her memory is recovered. That only makes me feel worse. I practically threw my own girlfriend into a lake! God, can today get any worse? I sighed and sat on a bench. Beth caught sight of me and sat next to me.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothin'," I replied.

"Don't seem like it. Just tell me."

I looked up at her. She seemed genuinely concerned. I sighed and resolved to tell her.

"I feel awful about what I did to Mia."

"Don't. I've talked to her, and she doesn't blame you for this. She isn't angry at you, so you shouldn't be angry at you either."

"But I am. I can't change that. As long as she isn't angry, I'll be fine. She needs to focus on remembering."

As if on cue, I heard Mia call Beth's name.

"I'll be back. She probably remembers something."

She got up from the table and headed quickly over to Mia's room. I decided to go take a trip into the forest. Maybe it'll clear my head. I grabbed a knife and my gun and headed out.

Dad was on watch. Hopefully I could get around him without being noticed.

"Hey, Carl!"

Damn.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Just going for a walk," I said, kindly as I could.

"Not in the woods. Nice try. You can walk here in the prison yard."

"But Dad!"

"No buts. Just walk around here. It'll be just as satisfying."

"Fine!"

I threw my hands up in surrender and waked off. I was still walking when Beth came out shouting my name.

"Carl!"

I looked up at her and ran towards her.

"What do you need?"

"Mia remembers something... and she wants to talk to you about it. She won't tell me anything."

"Ok. I'll be there in a second."

I entered the building quickly and found Mia's room. I knocked and she let me in. She seemed to have been pacing.

"Hi. You wanted to see me?" I asked.

"Yeah. I need you to tell me if this is true."

"Ok. Go ahead."

"We were dating. Before."

"Um... yeah. We were. If you don't want to anymore, I'd totally understand."

"No, That's not what I want at all."

"Good. Me neither. Have you remembered anything else?"

"Yeah... I remember your dad. Before and after this bad thing happened. I still don't understand why you can't just tell me!"

"Like I said, you'll freak out and just not believe me."

"Try me."

I debated. She might not freak out. But, if she does... what would happen?

"Sorry. I'm not gonna tell you. You'll find out soon enough."

"Fine. I'll let you know when I do."

She resumed pacing and I left her alone. What if she never remembers? Someone will have to tell her eventually. When and if that ever happens, I wand to be the one to tell her.

Night fell and it was my turn to do watch. Well, technically, it was Maggie's turn, but I'm taking over her shift tonight. She and Glenn had... important business to attend to. The night was rather peaceful. Except for one thing.

Towards the end of my shift, I saw a figure staggering towards the prison. I heard groaning, and he was limping. I raised my gun. Put my finger on the trigger. Tightened my fingers until...

"Please don't-"

The gunshot cut the voice off. He hit the ground with a thud.

I recognized the voice, though.

Oh, god. I'm a monster.


	23. Chapter 22: Recover

**Mia**

I was pacing, trying to remember. Nothing about this big, bad, thing that's apparently happening is ringing any bells! It's killing me! It's incredibly frustrating. I was interrupted by a commotion outside of my room.

"Carl, go in there and make sure she doesn't come out," I heard someone say.

Carl entered the room.

"Hi."

"What's happening?" I asked.

I was starting to get freaked out.

"Nothing is happening."

"Then why did someone tell you to keep me in here."

"It's nothing," he replied coolly.

"Fine. It's nothing."

"Glad you see it that way."

I continued pacing and thinking. I'm only getting a few vibes from this... this thing. It's definitely something horrible. I think it involves... death, somehow. It wasn't something I was familiar with before it happened, but I knew what it was. I can only think of a few things. I'll just have to guess.

"Can I ask you some questions about what's happening?" i asked.

"About the bad thing?"

I nodded.

"Sure."

"Thanks. Um... can I tell you what I think it is?"

He nodded.

"Um... dictatorship?"

He shook his head.

"Robots?"

He shook his head again.

"Godzilla?"

He shook his head.

"Um... zombies?"

He looked at me for a moment. He nodded his head.

"No... that's not... you can't actually think..."

"Do you want proof?" he asked.

"Of course I do! How am I supposed to believe-"

"Come with me."

He grabbed me by the hand. Something like an electric shock went up my arm. A splitting headache appeared suddenly. My vision was starting to blur. My knees gave out.

"Mia, what's happening?"

I blacked out before I could answer.

Images flashed. Memories. I didn't need the proof; I remembered everything. Rick, Beth, Maggie, Glenn... everyone! Even the walkers. My life was flashing before my eyes. It was... beautiful. Someone was trying to wake me. I could feel them shaking me. I didn't wanna wake up yet, though. The shaking continued, getting more and more violent, and the images kept getting thinner and thinner. Eventually, the images stopped, and I let the person finally wake me up. The world slowly slid into focus. Carl was above me, hands on my shoulders.

"Can you hear me?"

I nodded and sat up slowly.

"Do you still want to see the proof?" he asked.

"I don't need it."

"What do you mean?"

"I remember. Everything. Your touch... it triggered something. It made me remember."

He stared at me for a moment. He seemed awestruck.

"Everything?"

"I'm pretty sure. I definitely remember us."

He grinned broadly. He held out his hand and helped me up. I stood steadily. He led me out of the room, holding my hand. We went into the main room and was met by everyone huddled over something. Rick turned around and had a panicked expression on his face. Carl tensed up next to me. Rick stepped away from the group slowly. Chandler laid on the table, a blank expression frozen on his face. His chest was stained scarlet. A gunshot wound spouted fresh blood at an alarming rate. I looked at Carl. He was looking at me with a pained expression.

"Did you...?"

He nodded. I tore away from him and tears spilled down my face. How could he? Even if it was an accident.

"He was limping, and he looked like a walker from far away!"

"I don't care! You're a monster!"

I left him in the main room with everyone else. I ran to our shared cell and started to bawl.


	24. I'm Sorry

Hey guys,

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I have writer's block so bad right now. I'm trying to think of new ideas, but just... nothing. I'm going to try to write something, but in the meantime... I'm sorry and I am just awful.

**~A.C~**


	25. Chapter 23: The Breaking Point

**I have bad news.**

**I think we are nearing the end.**

**Of the story, that is.**

**Anyway, Here is a chapter! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever. Writer's block SUCKS. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I'm trying to update all of my stories today, and since this one is nearing the end, I might start a new one! So, enough talk. Time to read! ~A.C~**

**Carl**

I helped Dad pour the last shovelful of dirt onto Chandler's grave. Everyone, except for Mia, was gathered around, silent.

"We should be used to it by now," I heard Maggie whisper to Glenn.

He nodded in reply with a somber look etched on his face. Dad placed his shovel down and headed back to the prison. Some people lingered, while others followed closely behind Dad.

Not me, though.

I didn't move a muscle. I just stood, staring, shovel still in hand. I felt a few droplets of rain on my head, and I looked up. I hadn't noticed how accurately the weather reflected my, and undoubtedly everyone else's, mood. Even though this happens regularly, it doesn't mean we aren't upset. We don't cry anymore, but everyone is put off for a day or two.

The rain was pouring now, turning the freshly dug dirt into mud. I could feel my hair sticking to my forehead and my neck. I looked at the prison, which contained my family. They don't understand my intentions. They don't understand my _anything. _They don't understand…

"I did what I had to do," I heard an unfamiliar, terrifying voice say.

I looked around to see who uttered those strange words, but I was completely alone. That could only mean one thing:

I was the strange voice. I _am _the strange voice.

I looked down at my hands. They've killed innocent people. Crippled people. Mothers. They've hugged the trigger many times; more than any teenaged hands should. I picked up my gun. It fit nicely in my hand. The wooden handle was damp and cold from the current downpour, but, somehow, that made it feel more right. I placed my pointer finger ever so carefully on the trigger, almost afraid that if I moved without enough purpose and care, another bullet will rocket from the device and take another innocent life.

It was almost mocking me.

_Who will it be next, Carl? Dad? Judith?_

_Mia?_

The gun was right. I could just get rid of the gun.

Or I could just remove myself from any possibilities of hurting anyone. I shoved the lethal device into it's holster and turned in the direction of the woods.

That's where I would go.

I couldn't hurt anyone there. I know Mia would be happy I went.

One step towards happiness for everyone here.

Two.

Three.

"Carl!"

Four.

"Stop!"

Five.

"You'll die out there."

I whirled around and looked at my obstacle in its bright green eyes.

"What if I said I didn't care?"

The eyes flickered with emotions; sadness, anger, desperation.

Love?

"I would say that I did,"

A hand gripped my shoulder. Electricity shot up and down my arm and made my heart beat faster. I shook the hand off of my shoulder, but the hand only grabbed mine. Another cupped the side of my face to make me look at the bewitching green eyes.

"Carl, I do care. I didn't mean anything that I said to you. You can't die. I love you too much."

Tears escaped the eyes. They slid down rosy cheeks and the corners of perfectly crafted lips. The first tear dropped from the face, and onto our joined hands.

I let the obstacle drag me away and sit me down on a bench. A new obstacle with brown boots and stained jeans entered my view.

"Carl. Look at me."

I kept my eyes on the floor, refusing to look.

"Carl! Look at me!"

I lifted my head and stared at the new obstacle.

"I don't want to. You are an obstacle. Both of you. Just let me leave. I will hurt you if I don't," I stated, monotonously.

No one replied. No one touched me. No one spoke.

So, I stood.

And I walked.

And I left.

And no one has come after me.

Yet.

**Oooh! Insane teenager! I actually saw an interview with Chandler Riggs (Carl) in which he says that Carl is gonna be a little scrambled in the head next season, so insane teenager might describe a majority of Carl's scenes...**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed. I'll try to do the last updates of this story relatively close together, and I'll probably post the new story shortly after. OC's encouraged! I already have a main character, but anyone she might... run into or something would be fantastic! Just review or PM me with ideas.**

**~A.C~**


	26. Chapter 24: Regrets and Memories

**Alright, so, I have the ending all written out, and it should be published relatively soon. There'll probably be two (?) more chapters. I'm kinda sad it's ending though. Let me know how you feel in the reviews! And, the other story is definitely going to happen, I'm just gonna finish this one first. Plot for that one will be at the end of this chapter! Now, here it is.**

**Carl**

_Why did you hurt them, Carl?_

The trees whisper this to me when I sleep in their strong branches.

_Just go back._

They murmur this when the restless wind sweeps through their green leaves.

_They love you._

The ground mumbles to me when I crunch the foliage with my sore feet.

_You'll die out here._

Mia whispers to me in my mind.

As soon as I left, the voices started to plague my mind. They don't let me sleep. They distract me, and almost make me go back to the familiar building

_Almost._

I trudge on, hungry and parched. I can't let anyone else get hurt because of my evil. Because of my carelessness. Because of my ignorance.

I know Mia didn't want me to stay. That's why I convinced myself she was merely an obstacle. I guess that softened the blow.

_I don't need her to be happy. I don't need her to live. She wouldn't give a shit if I lived or died out here anyway. _

My heart tells me different.

_Carl, you love her. She loves you too. You can't continue to love her when you're dead._

But, my brain argues with my heart.

_Bullshit. She didn't love me. She never did._

I decide to continue this debate later. I shook my head to rid myself of the thought and focused to trying to find something to eat. Or drink. Both would be helpful. I feel the sun beating down onto my head and I look up. The sun shines brightly in my eyes. I wish it wasn't so damn hot. I wipe sweat from my forehead and continue my journey.

**Mia**

"Let go of me! I need to find him! Something is wrong, and I need to know what it is!" I screamed while Rick held my arms.

Tears fell down my already damp face at an alarming rate. I kicked at Rick; squirmed, fought, hoping he would let me go. Eventually, exhaustion got the best of me, and I concentrated all of my body's weight onto Rick's arms, hoping that would be enough to make him release me. But, he was strong enough to practically toss me into my cell that I used to share with Carl.

"If you would've stayed calm, I would've explained," Rick began.

"_I'm _looking for Carl. You're my family now, and I'm not going to let you risk your life for him. He's my son. I'm responsible."

I stared after the brave man as he retreated into the forest after his lost son. After he was long gone, I sat cautiously on my uncomfortable bed and thought about everything he had said to me.

_You are an obstacle. Both of you._

_What if I said I didn't care?_

Though it wasn't much, it was enough to shatter my heart into a million pieces. I don't know if it was the horrible things he said or the insane look in his once beautiful blue eyes. The thought of the first time I saw him popped into my mind.

His head was bent over his work on his desk, and I had just walked into the classroom. I had just moved to Georgia from California, and it was the middle of my Kindergarten year. He was towards the back of the room, and no one but him sat at the table. The teacher had gotten everyone's attention, and once Carl had turned his head, I knew that I could be friends with him. When I chose to sit directly across from him, he smiled a gap-toothed smile and said:

"I'm Carl. We can be friends as long as you don't get your girl cooties all over my desk."

When he was really young, Carl had quite a mouth. He got it under control sometime around the third grade. But, his eyes never changed. They were still friendly and kind and inviting. They never judged, and they never ridiculed.

Except for yesterday.

They were cold. Mean. Unforgiving.

Indifferent.

I felt silent tears slip quickly down my face, one by one. I wanted the old Carl back. I knew he wasn't like this. Sobs racked my body, and small whimpers escaped my lips. At this point, I knew people could hear me, but I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around myself, partly to keep myself from making the bed shift unnecessarily, and partly to fill the void Carl or my dad would fill at this point. When I thought of that, I cried harder, because I realized I was completely alone. No one was here to comfort me. I grew tired quickly and fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of Carl dying in a million different ways.

**Oooh. Anyway, my new story is most likely going to be called ****_Paradox. _****It's going to be about ****_The Walking Dead _****actually going through the apocalypse. It will be a Carl... or rather Chandler/OC, just like this one. I just thought it would be interesting and unique. Leave me a review and tell me what you think! I love hearing from you guys.**

**~A.C~**


	27. Chapter 25: The Return

**Only one more chapter left! I'm excited, but I'm also sad to see it end. I do hope you'll like it, and if you don't I might post an alternate ending thingie. Anyway, here's the chapter, let me know what you think! Love the feedback!**

**Carl**

I think two days have passed since I left. The morbid thoughts that corrupted me before have thankfully left me, but the voices still haunt me. Guilt is starting to eat me away. Mia talks to me most of the time. She usually reiterates the same thing every time:

_I'm so happy now that you've left, Carl. _

_I didn't really love you. You were just some annoying little shit my mother made me hang out with._

_I just used you for shelter._

_I don't need you._

But, sometimes, she tells me how much she loves me. I don't know which one is true. I don't think I will ever know.

My thoughts are interrupted by footfalls, quickening in pace behind me.

"Carl!" the person shouts.

I turn slowly and engulfed in an embrace before I can register anything. I shove this… person off of me and find that it's my father.

"Dad?"

He nods and wraps his arms around me once again.

"What the _hell _is wrong with you?"

"Not sure, really."

"Alright. Let's go just back, ok?"

"No."

Dad tilts his head to the side and turns to face me again.

"No?"

"You know Mia wanted me gone. I don't want to make her be in my company. Besides, if you let me come back, I might kill you."

"You think…? You must really… Mia wanted to look for you herself, but I wouldn't let her!"

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"Bull. Shit."

"You really think that's bullshit, huh?"

"Yeah, I do."

"How about this. We go back. We talk to Mia. If she wants you gone, then you're gone. If not, you stay. Deal?"

I paused for a moment. I really did want to go back. It seemed like a fair thing. Mia would definitely say something.

"Fine. Let's go."

**Mia**

I woke up with a congested nose and bruises on my upper arms. I must've fought pretty hard. I sighed and sat up grudgingly. I decided that I didn't want to move today. It really wasn't worth it. There wasn't anything here to motivate me. So, I'll just wait. I'll wait for Rick to come back and tell me that Carl didn't want to come back.

Or that he's dead.

Both are likely. But, I didn't really care at the moment. I didn't really care about anything at the moment. I just sat, wallowing in my newborn depression.

Hours must've passed before I dimly registered that someone was knocking on the wall by the bars. I moved my eyes from the floor where they'd been resting all day to find that Daryl was standing at the door, waiting to be granted entrance.

"Come in," I mumbled.

He slid the door open and walked in. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, waiting for me to speak. Once he realized I wasn't going to initiate a conversation, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So, uh, kid, you alright?"

"I'm super," I replied quietly.

"Yeah. Sure you are. So, ah, listen. If ya don' wanna come out today, that's ok. I know tha' Carl was important to ya, and we're all hopin' he's alright."

His sudden concern made me look up from my spot on the floor and at his awkward form.

"Thank you for telling me this, Daryl."

"Glad to do it."

He nodded and left the cell, closing the door behind him. I smiled weakly for a moment, flattered that he would be so… friendly towards me. I mean, he didn't know me that well. He must be really close to Rick or something. He must know what Rick thinks of me. But, that wasn't enough to bring me out of my gloom. Only one thing was enough.

"- and she just thanked me. That's all," I heard Daryl explaining.

"Well, Carl was her first boyfriend. They were close before this whole thing, too. But, you remember what Rick told us: we have to try to get her relatively happy. You know how important she is to him. He said she's like a daughter," I heard Carol reply.

"I know what he said. I just…"

I hadn't realized that I had travelled over to the bars and peeked over at them. Daryl must've noticed me watching them. Carol noticed him looking at me over her shoulder, so she turned and saw me looking at them.

"Did you hear us?" she asked anxiously.

I nodded slowly. She just blinked slowly, most probably thinking of a reply.

"Just know that it's fine. You don't have to comfort me. It won't be worth anything because you can't make me feel any better. I appreciate you trying and all, but you can't do anything to make me happier. Unless you can relate to your best friend going insane and running away."

They both looked stunned. Probably because that was the most I'd said and the loudest I'd been all day. I retreated back to my room and stayed there until I fell asleep.

**Please review and all that good stuff! Look forward to the next chapter, because it's gonna be good!**


	28. Chapter 26: The End

**Alright guys. It's finally here. The last installment of ****_Picking Up the Pieces. _****If you liked this, I have another story, and I am planning on posting a new one shortly after this chapter. Enjoy, and please review!**

**Carl**

A walker stumbled towards my father and me, but it didn't get far. It was quickly executed with a hunting knife to the head. Black blood dripped from the wound, and when I extracted the weapon, the wound started pouring blood. I shoved the knife in its holster and joined my father, who was a few paces ahead of me. The trees were starting to thin out, which meant we were nearing the prison.

"We should be there after sunset at the most," my father mumbled to himself.

I felt a nervous pang in my stomach. I was petrified that Mia wouldn't want me there. That my head was right. I thought I would be prepared for this, but apparently I wasn't.

The sun lowered in the sky gradually, and it was night by the time we reached the prison. The full moon cast an eerie light on the prison. We opened the gate together and I walked up to the familiar building. Daryl nodded in our direction from where he was on watch, and we entered quietly. I climbed up the stairs carefully and walked up to our cell. I peeked into the cell and saw that Mia was asleep on the bottom bunk. The moonlight from the small window lit her face, and I saw that her face was red and damp. She's obviously been crying. Her lips were moving, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. A few fresh tears slipped down her cheek and onto her pillow. I slid the door open and sat at the foot of the bed, watching her. She was usually so peaceful when she slept. Now she looked distressed. She stirred in her sleep, and her eyes snapped open. A small squeak escaped her lips, and she looked around. When her eyes met mine, she froze. She sat up slowly, her eyes not leaving mine. I smiled weakly at her, and she beamed. She engulfed me in a strong hug.

"I'm so happy you're ok," she mumbled into my shoulder.

I wrapped my arms around her and I felt a few tears roll onto my shirt, but I didn't care. Then, I knew that she didn't want me to leave. And that she loved me. She always has, and I have no idea why I thought that she would want me to leave. I buried my head into her shoulder and hugged her for a very long time.

**Mia**

Rick looped his arm through mine and delivered a small smile.

"Are you ready for this?"

I nodded and faced the tent in front of me. I heard the speakers start to play the song Carl and I had picked. I breathed deeply and stepped forward. I stepped on the white carpet that we had laid out on top of the green grass. I passed everyone slowly, looking for Daryl and Carol and Glenn and Maggie. They sat together, Glenn and Maggie holding hands, and Daryl and Carol keeping little Sophia and Judith in check. I smiled at them, and they smiled back, Carol dabbing a tissue at her eye. I reached Carl and reached for his hands. He took them and squeezed lightly. The priest nodded to each of us and started to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to join Amelia Renee Foster and Carl Edward Grimes in holy matrimony," he began.

I tuned him out, because he was making me nervous. I looked deep into Carl's friendly eyes. They reassured me that everything would be ok. That I wouldn't mess up. That I wouldn't fall. I smiled at him, and saw his mouth move.

"I do," he replied.

"And do you, Amelia Renee Foster, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," I smiled.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride!" the priest announced happily.

Carl picked me up, bridal style and kissed me, softly and sweetly. Carl put me down carefully and held my hand tightly. Sophia leaped out of her seat and bounded over to us.

"I'm so happy you're married!" she shouted to us.

Shortly after the apocalypse ended, we found Sophia in the woods, alone. She was just a baby; she couldn't even speak yet. We named her after Carol's late daughter. Sophia is ten now, and Judith is twelve. Judith looks just like her mother, long black hair and big brown eyes.

The apocalypse ended nearly two years ago. A government was formed from the survivors, and they created a cure. This cure killed the zombies, but not the humans. They tried to create something that would at least stabilize the walkers' hunger, but after countless hours of research, they realized that it couldn't be done. The infection has been removed from the humans, and if this ever happens again, they're prepared. We lost millions of people in this epidemic, but we know that we have years and years to go to repopulate the planet.

As for the group, Glenn and Maggie got married when we were about fifteen, and Maggie is now _very _pregnant with a baby boy. Daryl and Carol are engaged, and they plan to get married sometime in the next year. Michonne has gone off to find some of her family, and promises to get in touch with us soon. Rick has a big government job now as a weapons and tactics specialist and is providing for Judith. Carl is starting out on the job with his dad, and all the big bosses are saying that he has the potential to make it really big. As for me, I work as a therapist for those who are suffering from post-traumatic stress. And I don't think I could be happier.

**_The End_**

**Yay! Happy Ending! Thank you so much for reading the whole thing; I thought that nobody would like it, honestly. This was my first story on here, and I had a lot of fun with it. Thank you again! Leave a review please, please, PLEASE! It means the world to me when I get all this good feedback!**


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